{"abstract":"The Federal Election Commission is issuing revised regulations governing candidate debates and new stories produced by cable television organizations. These regulations implement the provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) which exempt news stories from the definition of expenditure under certain conditions. The revisions indicate that cable television programmers, producers and operators may cover or stage candidate debates in the same manner as broadcast and print news media. The rules also restate Commission policy that news organizations may not stage candidate debates if they are owned or controlled by any political party, political committee or candidate.","action":"Final rule and transmittal of regulations to Congress.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION","name":"Federal Election Commission","id":165,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/federal-election-commission","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/165","parent_id":null,"slug":"federal-election-commission"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/1996/04/24/96-10038.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":100,"title":11},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":110,"title":11},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":114,"title":11}],"citation":"61 FR 18049","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"Further action, including the publication of a document in the Federal Register announcing an effective date, will be taken after these regulations have been before Congress for 30 legislative days pursuant to 2 U.S.C. 438(d).","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Notice 1996-11"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"96-10038","effective_on":null,"end_page":18052,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":null,"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/1996/04/24/96-10038/candidate-debates-and-news-stories","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/96-10038?publication_date=1996-04-24","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-1996-04-24/96-10038/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":4,"page_views":{"count":136,"last_updated":"2026-09-22 12:15:07 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1996-04-24/pdf/96-10038.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":null,"publication_date":"1996-04-24","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/1996/04/24/96-10038.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{},"regulation_id_numbers":[],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2011-09-21T03:14:15Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":null,"signing_date":null,"start_page":18049,"subtype":null,"title":"Candidate Debates and News Stories","toc_doc":null,"toc_subject":null,"topics":[],"type":"Rule","volume":61}